CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities.
Recent Stories
Nolan Billman's house has 30,000 lights, give or take
Nolan Billman's house has 30,000 lights, give or take
MOSES LAKE - There are so many Christmas lights in Nolan Billman's yard that he can't really count them. He has to make an estimate.
Warden students witness mock DUI aftermath
WARDEN - So many people came to Garritt Marks' "funeral" they had to use the Warden High School gym.
Job Corps graduates 5
Students advised that work, challenges are worth it
MOSES LAKE - Five students left the Columbia Basin Job Corps with industry training and certifications after graduation ceremonies Wednesday.
Funeral home starts book for shooting victims
Carver Family Funeral Home allows people to leave condolences
MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake funeral home is offering residents the chance to express their condolences for the parents of children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the community of Newtown, Conn.
Ephrata hospital seeks new admin.
EPHRATA - An interim administrator could be hired as early as January 1 at Columbia Basin Hospital to replace former administrator Robert Reeder, who resigned recently.
Soap Lake PA gives up license
SOAP LAKE - A physician's assistant has surrendered his license to practice following a state Department of Health investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with patients and employees.
Local districts reassess after Connecticut shooting
Not many changes, but some reviews
MOSES LAKE - Parents and students probably won't notice a lot of changes at Columbia Basin schools in the wake of last Friday's shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that left 20 children and six adults dead.
Villarreal named new BBCC trustee
OTHELLO - Miguel (Mike) Villarreal was appointed to the Board of Trustees at Big Bend Community College.
REC Silicon donation boosts BBCC computer program
MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake manufacturer recently donated $88,000 in technology equipment to give a leg up to the revived computer science program at Big Bend Community College.
Glamor and glitz on display at Winter Wonderland Ball
MOSES LAKE - It turns out glamor isn't difficult, exactly, but it is tricky. Complicated.
Honoring veterans focus of special dinner
Anonymous donor, Job Corps students team up on Christmas dinner
MOSES LAKE - Under normal circumstances, Theresa Clement said her culinary arts class at Columbia Basin Job Corps would've had to decline with thanks, but these aren't normal circumstances.
Rebuilding planned for Quincy apartment building
QUINCY - Crews have cleaned the debris from a Nov. 10 apartment fire in Quincy, and Grant County Housing Authority officials plan to start rebuilding as soon as possible.
Moses Lake secondary overcrowding focus of meeting
MOSES LAKE - The pros and cons of year-round school for secondary students, an extended school day for secondary students and other options were discussed at the second of four meetings recently.
World AIDS Day Saturday
EPHRATA - Grant County Health District officials are urging people to get tested for HIV as part of World AIDS Day Saturday.
BBCC club donates to Christmas charity
MOSES LAKE - A Big Bend Community College student group donated more than 125 Christmas gift packages to a charity sending the packages all over the world.
Thursday meeting to address school overcrowding
Decisions expected by April
MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School District officials are holding the second of four meetings to address overcrowding at the middle schools and high school Thursday
Big Bend gets glowing report
MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College received six commendations and only two recommendations after a visit by an accreditation team, made up of community college administrators, professors and personnel from Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Shoppers hit small businesses Saturday
MOSES LAKE - Two shoppers were looking at ceramic pebbles with inspirational sayings at Art Garden Pottery Saturday afternoon.
Black Friday brings out local shoppers
Crowds are there when doors open for Christmas shopping
MOSES LAKE - A salesperson was seeking to fill a customer request at Home Depot about mid-morning Friday:
Aspiring fashion designer looks ahead
Design school will be next step
MOSES LAKE - Zena Chelan Flint had about two days before the fashion show of her original designs that was her senior project at Ephrata High School. She needed another dress, but she couldn't come up with another design, not one that could be cut and sewn in a couple of days.
Fowler Construction awarded Skills Center building contract
MOSES LAKE - Construction could begin as early as December on a facility designed to offer technical skills training to high school students in Grant County and some portions of Adams County.
Bomber pilot recalls WWII
MOSES LAKE - Set the scene, like they do with CGI in the movies, only this time it's real.
ML Food Bank feeds families for Thanksgiving
Tight races not impacted much by found ballots
MOSES LAKE - About 55 volunteers distributed more than 3-1/2 tons of food on a hectic first of Thanksgiving basket distribution at the Moses Lake Food Bank Monday.
Giving thanks
MOSES LAKE - The girl in Peggy McNutt's second grade class at Midway Elementary had a question about the list her classmates had prepared, the one they were writing as part of their classes about Thanksgiving.
Contract change means Samaritan ER personnel changes
New providers haven't revealed staffing plans
MOSES LAKE - A contract with a new physician group to staff the emergency room at Samaritan Healthcare has left the current ER health provider staff looking for jobs.
Samaritan turkey donation drive nets birds, cash
MOSES LAKE - As of Saturday afternoon, Columbia Basin residents had donated about 180 turkeys and more than $8,000 to Samaritan Healthcare's turkey and canned food drive, and there was still half of Saturday to go.
Moses Lake woman becomes Rhodes scholar finalist
MOSES LAKE - Analiesse Isherwood was on her way to the bus stop when she received email notification that her application as a Rhodes Scholar finalist had been accepted, or rejected. And the subject line wasn't very revealing.
Work is privilege for Honor Guards
MOSES LAKE - At an Air Force veteran's funeral, or the funeral of air personnel on active duty, the Honor Guard can attend, if the family wishes, to present an American flag.
ML school board talks pool options
MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake School board could decide what to do with the deteriorating cover on the high school pool as early as Dec. 13.
Area drug bust nets 700 pounds of marijuana
ROYAL CITY - A Moses Lake man will appear in U.S. District Court in Spokane today following his arrest last week and the confiscation of 700 pounds of marijuana.
Bomber pilot recalls WWII service
MOSES LAKE - Set the scene, like they do with CGI in the movies, only this time it's real.
Honor Guard work is honor for participants
MOSES LAKE - At an Air Force veteran's funeral, or the funeral of air personnel on active duty, the Honor Guard can attend, if the family wishes, to present an American flag.
Big Bend receives $189K achievement award
MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College was awarded $189,168 from the Washington Student Achievement Initiative for its progress in helping students meet their educational goals.
Moses Lake High's 'Peter Pan' opens Thursday
Curtain rises at 7 p.m.
MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake High School Drama Club will present three performances of Peter Pan this week, beginning Thursday.
Area drug bust nets 700 pounds of marijuana
ROYAL CITY - A Moses Lake man will appear in U.S. District Court in Spokane today following his arrest on Tuesday and the confiscation of 700 pounds of marijuana.
Samaritan holds turkey drive Nov. 15-17
More than $8,000, 250 turkeys donated in 2011
MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare employees conduct their annual Turkey and Canned Food Drive Nov. 15-17. The goal is to collect at least 500 turkeys, which will be donated to the Moses Lake Food Bank for distribution.
Samaritan Hospital offers free Halloween candy X-rays
MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare will have an X-ray machine set up in the lobby tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. to check Halloween candy, a tradition at the hospital for the last 20 years.
Alex Boorman's artistic career already successful
Loves movies, singing and dancing, loves life
MOSES LAKE - Fourteen-year-old Alex Boorman loves movies, loves to sing and dance, loves to bowl on the Special Olympics bowling team, loves to greet customers as they come in the family's business on Third Avenue.
Moses Lake Key Club nets herd of stuffed animals
MOSES LAKE - The Key Club members brought in the big blue unicorn and the huge teddy bear, and a box of stuffed animals, and a big plastic garbage bag, and another one, then a bunch more. A lot of stuffed animals. But they kept coming.
Family of ill Moses Lake teen asks for prayers
MOSES LAKE - Family and friends of a Moses Lake teen who's been in coma for more than two weeks are asking people to pray for his recovery, his aunt said. A fund was established to help his family meet expenses connected with the boy's continuing stay in Spokane.
Kiwanis Club donates dictionaries to third graders
MOSES LAKE - A third grader at Larson Heights Elementary was really only interested in looking up one word in his brand-new dictionary.
Information, merchandise, fun at Women's Expo
About 20 vendors with services, products attend
MOSES LAKE - Booths promoting health and wellness, charitable organizations, services and some that were just for fun filled the floor at the Columbia Basin Women's Expo Saturday.
Samaritan, Parkview Pediatrics to join forces
MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare will purchase Parkview Pediatrics, with the deal completed by Jan. 1.
Facebook argument generates reaction
MOSES LAKE - A story about a Facebook fight that cost a woman her position on the Moses Lake School District's substitute roster generated 73 comments on the Columbia Basin Herald's Facebook page and 54 comments on the paper's website.
Second hantavirus death reported in Grant County
Unidentified woman died in September
MOSES LAKE - State health officials confirmed a Grant County woman who died in September probably died of hantavirus. Grant County Health District officials received confirmation of the diagnosis recently, releasing the information Wednesday.
Construction bids sought for skills center
Bid opening mid-November
MOSES LAKE - Contractors will be invited to submit bids for the new Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center, with the bid opening scheduled for Nov. 13.
Facebook costs Moses Lake woman her position
MOSES LAKE - A heated Facebook argument over teen pregnancy apparently cost a local woman her spot on the Moses Lake School District's substitute paraeducator roster, currently her only job, after a complaint was made by another Facebook user who saw the page.
BBCC dedicates revived computer science program
MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College reopened its computer science program with a ribbon cutting recently.
Poignant visit to the pumpkin patch
MOSES LAKE - Frankly, the girl with the pink coat was skeptical about the whole thing. She looked at the patch full of vines and leaves and bright orange pumpkins and asked, "How do you walk through there?"
Art, wine walk draws crowd to Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE - A little walk, a little wine and the chance to look at a lot of local art at downtown businesses drew an interested crowd to the first Art and Wine Walk Saturday.